Chris  Pelchat  SIR  SummaryRLS  22000  The  Wilderness  Experience

RLS  22000  The  Wilderness  ExperienceS08 S10 S11 S12 Overall

OVERALL  EVALUATION  (item  #40  SIR  II) 4.70 4.80 4.70 5.00 4.80COURSE  ORGANIZATION  AND  PLANNING N  =  10 N  =  10 N=10 N=10 N=10Explanation  of  Course  Reguirements 4.90 4.70 4.30 5.00 4.73Preparation  for  Each  Class 4.90 4.80 4.60 5.00 4.83Command  of  Subject  Matter 5.00 5.00 4.90 5.00 4.98Use  of  Class  Time 4.60 4.90 4.70 5.00 4.80Summarize/Emphasize  Important  Points 5.00 4.90 4.60 5.00 4.88COMMUNICATION MEAN 4.88 4.86 4.62 5.00 4.84Clear  and  Understandable  Presentations 4.80 4.90 4.50 5.00 4.80Command  of  Spoken  English 5.00 5.00 4.78 5.00 4.95Use  of  Examples  or  Illustrations 4.50 4.90 4.50 5.00 4.73Use  of  Challenging  Questions/Problems 4.40 5.00 4.50 5.00 4.73Instructor's  Enthusiasm 4.70 4.90 4.70 5.00 4.83FACULTY  STUDENT  INTERACTION MEAN 4.68 4.94 4.60 5.00 4.80Helpfulness  and  Responsiveness 4.70 4.80 4.90 5.00 4.85Respect 4.70 4.80 4.80 5.00 4.83Concern  for  Student  Progress 4.40 4.90 4.70 5.00 4.75Availability  for  Extra  Help 4.40 5.00 4.78 5.00 4.80  Listens  to  Student  Questions/Opinions 4.50 5.00 4.70 5.00 4.80ASSIGNMENTS,  EXAMS,  and  GRADING MEAN 4.54 4.90 4.78 5.00 4.80Information  on  How  Graded 4.67 4.22 3.70 5.00 4.40Clarity  of  Exam  Questions N/A N/A N/A N/A N/AExams  Coverage  of  Important  Aspects 4.40 4.89 N/A 4.75 4.68Instructor's  Comments  on  Assign./Exams 4.33 4.70 N/A 5.00 4.68Overall  Textbook  Quality 4.89 4.56 4.14 4.90 4.62Helpfulness  of  Assignments  in  Understanding   4.60 5.00 4.38 5.00 4.75SUPPLEMENTARY  INSTRUCT.  METHODS MEAN 4.58 4.67 4.07 4.93 4.56Problems/Questions  for  Small  Group  Discussions 4.60 5.00 4.60 5.00 4.80Papers  or  Projects 4.56 4.88 4.25 5.00 4.67Laboratory  Exercises 4.78 5.00 4.67 5.00 4.86Assigned  Group  Projects 4.86 4.90 4.57 5.00 4.83Case  Studies,  Simulations,  or  Role  Playing 4.78 5.00 4.80 5.00 4.90Course  Journals  or  Logs 4.60 5.00 4.10 5.00 4.68Instructors  Use  of  Computers  Aid  in  Instruction N/A N/A N/A N/A N/ACOURSE  OUTCOMES MEAN 4.70 4.96 4.50 5.00 4.79My  Learning  Increased 4.90 4.80 4.90 5.00 4.90Progress  Towards  Course  Objectives 4.90 4.80 4.70 5.00 4.85Interest  In  Subject  Increased 4.80 4.70 4.50 5.00 4.75Independent  Thinking  About  Subject 4.80 4.80 4.70 4.90 4.80Actively  Involved  Me  In  Learning 5.00 4.70 4.90 5.00 4.90COURSE  DIFFICULTY,  WORK  LOAD,  PACE MEAN 4.88 4.76 4.74 4.98 4.84Level  of  Difficulty 2.90 3.70 4.22 3.90 3.68Work  Load  In  Relation  to  Other  Courses 2.60 3.90 4.20 4.20 3.73Course  Pace 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00

MEAN 2.83 3.53 3.81 3.70 3.47

CHRIS PELCHAT SPRING 2012 COURSE EVALUATIONS

RLS-22000-01 THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

There’s really no way to know how effective a course may be when its held outside like this. I have never taken a course that I loved this much. My interest was fully in it. My learning increased much more than a traditional classroom setting and Professor Pelchat is an amazing person to be teaching this. He was right there with us. The experiential learning was extremely beneficial to me, more so than I have ever had. Professor Pelchat lead as though through a life changing experience.

Dr. Pelchat is the best teacher I’ve had. He views every moment as an opportunity to teach us something and truly cares about how we are feeling.

This course is how I believe everyone should learn. We were learning twenty-four hours a day with everything we did. I got more out of this class than any other I have taken at Ithaca College. Dr. Pelchat is well educated and a talented teacher. I would highly recommend this course or any course taught by Dr. Pelchat, I believe everyone at the school should experience his style of teaching.

The Wilderness Experience was a powerful class especially because of the teaching methods professor Pelchat used. We were constantly pushing group and personal goals and levels of self-efficiency, which I strongly believe attributed to the immense progress, and achievement of learning outcomes. Professor Pelchat always carries an air of selflessness around him, and is always concerned about our safety and well being throughout this experiential learning course. I would recommend this course and professor to anyone.

This course was challenging and very effective. I was completely immersed in what I was learning the entire time and it was completely experiential. Professor Pelchat always put his students needs before his own and was always helpful when needed. I would highly recommend this course to others as it now only helped me gain knowledge about the field, but about my self as well.

I think this was extremely beneficial to me as an OAL major, and student in general. He was professional when needed and casual in the right settings. This course allowed for the right amounts of personal reflection and programmed guided discovery and analysis. He always put the students needs before his own; safety his number 1 role. I would not have learned more or better in any other environment with any other professor.

For me personally, experiential learning is the most effective way for me to gain knowledge. This course put me directly in the field and challenged not only my intellect but my emotional and physical self as well. Professor Pelchat is a selfless leader whose actions I would like to emulate. His design of the course in which we took part in many small group discussions allowed me to feel comfortable expressing my opinions without fear of judgment.

This course was an amazing experience combining experiential learning and group discussions. Chris was always present, asking questions, getting us to problem solve and discuss how the class and experience can relate to our field. Journals and discussions were very effective in conveying course material.

Chris Pelchat and the way he designed this course is a step or two above any course I have ever taken. WE aren’t just learning we’re experiencing. The lessons I have learned during this course will never be forgotten and that cannot be said

for an other course at Ithaca College and you can look at my transcript, I’ve taken them all. I would even suggest making the course longer because the education was timeless.

Dr. Pelchat really understands how to teach. Not only is he an expert in his field, but also he knows how to relate to us and is great at relaying information from his brain into ours. Did a great job prepping us before the trip, while also leaving some unknowns for us during the course in the field.

CHRIS PELCHAT SPRING 2011 COURSE EVALUATIONS

RLS-22000-01 THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Did the course live up to your expectations? Explain.

1. Yes, I wish we would not have had so many rest days though, but that was due to weather.

2. Yes it did. This course was just about getting used to wilderness li9ving and that is what we did.

3. Absolutely! I knew going in that sea kayaking wasn’t the point so the weather issues did not bother me. We were outside for a wilderness experience and that is exactly what we got.

4. Since my explanation of the course was mainly for us to live in the wilderness for an extended time, yes.

5. Yes. I wasn’t sure what to expect in the first place, but I had a lot of fun, and learned a lot.

6. Definitely, I felt my times as LOT/LOW have helped me learn much more about leadership styles/duties. In addition, my outdoor hard skills (outdoor living/kayaking) have increased.

7. I came into this course pretty open minded, without my distinct expectations, so yes.

8. Yes, I think this course effectively provided opportunity to reflect on the meaning of wilderness and provide hard outdoor skills learning by experience.

9. Yes, I learned many things about outdoor skills and leadership, and how to stay warm and how to cook and I feel more confident in all those areas.

10. This course was good, fun, engaging. Good group discussions.

How well was the course planned? (Both content and organization)

1. It was well planned but when giving instructions for LOD were sometimes vague.

2. Because of how the course is run it is hard to plan for a lot of it, but what could be planned was done well.

3. The course was well planned if it wasn’t I do not think a course like this could happen without major problems. We had none.

4. I would say well.

5. Really well.

6. Very well. The lessons were helpful and very interactive. The instructors were organized and actively involved us in decisions.

7. It was planned well for the most part, except at points where it felt like we were just winging it.

8. This course was planned well to the degree it could be in the field.

9. Very well, there is no room for error in this situation.

10. Blank

Were there any activities that you think should have been covered in more depth?

1. I wanted to learn about knots.

2. More about tides.

3. I would have liked to sit down on the second day of lODing with the instructors and chat.

4. None come to mind. Maybe paddling techniques.

5. At times I felt like teaching happened as an afterthought. Sometimes this was awesome, sometimes it was annoying. Some aspects of paddling could have been covered before we were able to make the mistake.

6. Water movement like tides, currents, winds etc.

7. I would have liked to learn some things more directly and earlier in the course. A lot of things I felt were taught after the fact, after we already had to deal with the consequences of not knowing better.

8. Yes, I could have used more practice in proper paddle technique before going out.

9. Yes, we should have learned more safety and technical skills on kayaking.

10. I think another discussion about what wilderness means to us could have been helpful.

Did you have enough opportunity to develop or display your leadership abilities?

1. Yes.

2. I would have preferred single LOD’s instead of co-LOD

3. Yes on 4 of the days I was the LOD, I definitely felt as though I grew as a leader from LOding and from watching other LODs.

4. Not as much as I would’ve liked.

5. I did have some opportunity to display my leadership abilities but I look forward to displaying them more in future courses.

6. Yes.

7. Yes, but I would have liked more personal debriefs.

8. Yes.

9. So far yes, but I’m looking forward to learning more about how to be an effective leader.

10. Yes, but I would have liked more individual evaluation.

What additional types of opportunities do you recommend?

1. Feedback with instructors signally.

2. More opportunities to paddle in big surf.

3. I would have liked to be involved in the food rationing process and check out the ration calculator.

4. More opportunity for development of your own leadership and feedback for individuals instead of all LOD feedback being about them as a team. It makes the feedback less effective.

5. Blank

6. Nope

7. I would have liked to learn more about oceanography earlier in the course.

8. None I can think of.

9. More discussions about where to go next in this field.

10. Blank

Was safety a major aspect of all judgment considerations regarding each subject area?

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Yes, while we had total control of the day, if there was a safety issue the instructors made sure to step in and prevent any danger.

4. Since my major is OAL it is always a concern. WOOO Risk Management.

5. Yes

6. Definitely, risk management was always incorporated.

7. Yes

8. Yes for the most part

9. Yes, usually number one priority

10. Yes of course

Do you feel your leadership ability changed as a result of the course? Explain.

1. No, I was able to adapt more though.

2. I feel that I was forced to lead in ways I was not used to since there was a lack of options.

3. Yes I do. I figured out how much really goes into leading a trip and learned different styles of leadership.

4. Slightly but too much focus on “teams” of leaders. Not enough personal development.

5. Not so much. I need to experiment with other styles/get more personal feedback to change, I think.

6. I feel I have expanded on previous knowledge/abilities.

7. Not sure, at the very least I’m more aware of my leadership style.

8. I became more aware of how I function/how I am comfortable as a leader.

9. Yes, I feel a lot more confident in leading my peers, which is in my opinion more difficult than any other group.

10. I don’t think it changed but I definitely learned a lot and it gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own leadership style.

Was the course flexible and sensitive to the needs of your specific group?

1. Yes

2. Yes it was

3. Yes it was, there was a different ability level therefore the group had to make decisions where the least comfortable persons were still comfortable.

4. Yes

5. Very much so

6. Yes we constantly took personal skills/comfort level into considerations.

7. Yes

8. Yes, especially demonstrated by assessing hazards and our decisions not to kayak the northern islands

9. Yes absolutely. We changed the trip itinerary to be flexible with your weaker paddlers.

10. Yes, we changed course completely to the weather and the needs of the group.

Instructor specific feedback:

Class presentations:

1. Good lessons

2. Very clear and effective

3. I really enjoyed this style of teaching much better for my style of learning

4. Kept me engaged

5. Very thorough. Right amount of time. Never got bored or tuned out of lessons.

6. I felt he was very prepared and knowledgeable.

7. Good, always willing to give extra help.

8. Effective in information presented.

9. I like his teaching style. Open to complete conversation, and pulled back the focus when necessary.

10. Well organized, interesting.

Communication skills:

1. Be a bit more specific when giving LOD instructions

2. Very good in most matters

3. I never felt out of the loop and feel comfortable asking any questions I have.

4. No problems

5. Good at seeing others perspectives and explaining his own reasons

6. I would have liked to have been informed about certain things before hand. I feel like a lot of important information was reviewed after the fact like water/wind movement.

7. Very understandable

8. Good at communicating vital information

9. I feel like he could be more forward with information before we get into sticky situation

10. Always available to talk

Ability to manage conflicts:

1. Blank

2. Perfect

3. Have yet to see any major conflicts

4. n/a

5. n/a

6. Very effective

7. Did we have conflicts?

8. Well lead, facilitate and suggest personal confrontations

9. Yes good at mediating

10. blank

Role modeling:

1. blank

2. great role model

3. perfect mixture of fun and business

4. great job here

5. very good

6. no complaints

7. Haven’t noticed any bad habits to pick up yet

8. Chris lead a good example in his outdoor skills and communication

9. Yes, good

10. good

Ability to motivate:

1. Good

2. Yes but most of the time that was left up to the LODs

3. We were motivated to take initiative and be positive role models

4. Blank

5. Often left to the lod’s

6. Motivation most often left to the lod, not the instructor

7. Awesome

8. I feel as though most of the people here are highly motivated. Personally I rarely need motivation when outdoors.

9. Great job at keeping spirits up

10. Very positive

Skill Mastery:

1. Very good

2. Skills mastered

3. Very effective

4. Excellent

5. Really skillful in everything we did

6. The time frame allowed us to perfect skills that we struggled with. I could have used more practice on managing the rudder with more encouragement though.

7. Felt like you were always there to help if needed/asked, but didn’t freely give advice if not asked for.

8. I feel entirely confident in the instructor’s skills.

9. He is the best.

10. Amazing

Support of the student leader of the day:

1. Sometimes a little more could be given. I felt very much like I was just thrown in at times.

2. Really good, but you have to know to ask the right questions.

3. Awesome very helpful

4. Always there as back up and support

5. Usually sometimes he averted questioned and joked around rather than just straight forward answering.

6. I felt a little lost at times like I didn’t know what was expected. Overall the student leader of the day was effective and a positive leadership experience.

7. Gave all the information asked for, but very little direct guidance.

8. I really like being the LOD and I think it is a great tool for our program.

9. Good job of only stepping in when needed.

10. Line between LOD and instructors was hairy and not sure where it was merged/separated.

How well did this instructor work with his/her fellow instructors?

1. I think they complimented each other nicely. But sometimes were not on the same page I felt.

2. Very well

3. Very well

4. Good, well balanced

5. Very well, but sometimes their whispering was a bit much

6. They balanced each other for the most part and worked well together

7. Moderately well

8. Well, they know each other very well and know what reactions each will have to certain situations

9. Very well

10. Very well

Additional Comments:

• I know this style of teaching is learn from experience/doing, but sometimes it would be nice to learn things as a group before doing them. Sometimes we were just taught skills one-on-one which is nice, but it doesn’t allow us to gain a broader knowledge base when we maybe in someone else’s situation next week or later on in the field. I mean this when it comes to safety. I’d rather be told something, before we get into trouble.

• Chris knows his stuff and is fun to learn from

7/12/11

cg

CHRIS PELCHAT SPRING 2010 COURSE EVALUATIONS

RLS-22000-0l THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE Great course! Was planned well and did a great job gathering feedback and evaluating the trip planning and logistics to improve the course for future participants. Chris is an excellent professor. He was very dedicated to the course and our development as students. Chris is by far the most inspirational professor I have ever learned from. He not only is knowledgeable about the hard skills of outdoor adventure leadership but the soft skills that are imperative to personal growth as a leader. It is evident that he truly cares about each and every student in his classroom. Chris was an excellent instructor for this course. He was very informative and willing to help. Definitely a solid intro to outdoor living expedition behavior, etc. I think the San Juan Islands was an excellent place to experience wilderness. Chris did a lovely job of facilitating the experience. This course was very well placed in the immersion semester. It was paced well—slow and enough time was given to really learn. The book was a perfect accompaniment. Chris was great at teaching us through experiential learning and letting us learn from our own mistakes and teaching us little tips as the experience progressed to make our lives easier. Great job! The wilderness experience was an amazing course where hard skills, leadership skills and group dynamic skills were learned from the moment I wok e up to the moment I went to sleep. The journal assignment in this course was very effective and a great way to log our progress of an immersion experience. Chris Pelchat is an amazing instructor with tons of knowledge. Really, this evaluation does not do the experience justice. I highly enjoyed this course. The placement of this course in the semester was sound and was a good integration into the semester. I enjoyed the instructor’s impact and learned a lot while in this course. His teaching method was appropriate and effective for this type of course. I wish I had the chance to take more courses with this professor. This course was phenomenal and Chris was an amazing guide and instructor throughout. His knowledge, passion, and joy for teaching made the course vigorous, enlightening, and fun. His love and respect for the wilderness and the development of leadership with individuals is outstanding and contagious. He did a remarkable job!

CHRIS PELCHAT

SPRING 2008 COURSE EVALUATIONS RLS-210000-01 THE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE

Did the course live up to your expectations? Explain. Yes. I thought this course was a great way for the group to get to know one another, as well as get an idea of what an extended trip is like. I feel that the “wilderness” aspect was slightly skewed in this environment however, and that being in a more primitive, undisturbed area would have provided a more “whole” wilderness experience. Of course I didn’t know what to expect. But, the short answer is yes. I was expecting something challenging, to learn, to have fun, and be memorable—certainly this trip was all of that. The Wilderness Experience definitely fulfilled my expectations. I was able to have my own wilderness experience and I am more aware of how to facilitate that to participants. The course did not live up to my full expectations. I thought there would be more focus on the sea kayaking, but didn’t realize that the focus of the course was to build leadership skills and to learn about the Wilderness Experience. The course was great. I learned everything I had hoped for and more. This course lived up to and exceeded my expectations. I learned a number of important skills. I also learned a lot about myself and at the same time enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, I actually learned much more than I had expected. Actually being on location while learning was very beneficial. No. It exceeded my expectations. I never expected a college course to have such an impact on my life. It helped me realize what I want to do and it changed my perspective. Absolutely!!! This course was not only an amazing experience but a challenge as well. Just like any academic class the course teaches me necessary skills for life. My expectations were high for this course because of my learning style. I was certainly satisfied with the experiential approach to learning. I feel I actually learned and remembered more things in this semester than any other semester before. How well was the course planned? (Both content and organization)? Yes!!! I believe that those planning the trip did a spectacular job of having all of the bases covered. It is difficult to plan such a trip in an area where you cannot get permits until 24 hours before you are planned to leave, so being open to changes was very beneficial to us. One thing to think about for next time is how we are going to plan a re-ration, since leaving it at the ranger station didn’t work out. Incredibly well. It was obvious that Chris has had a lot of experience planning trips as he knew what to expect and thought all the plans through.

The course was well planned out, not only with navigation, locations and kayaking, but also good organization with the book discussions and activities. The course was planned very well. Along with our original plan which also had alternative plans set aside in case the first one did not work. Because the course was well planned out it seemed to go very smoothly. Planned very well. All bases were covered. This course was planned very well. The organization, including travel, route planning, supplies, etc. all worked out smoothly. There were days planned to rest when we needed it as well as alternative routes we could take. I think that everything was covered that was supposed to be. Very well, and adjustments that were made were very appropriate. Phenomenally well. Chris had all of his bases covered. The course was planned perfectly for being a pilot. There was perfect organization put into planning the expeditions. The professor, alien to some of the environments we went to, was still extremely knowledgeable about the necessary information. The course material was a perfect load and focused not only on new material of wilderness skills, but we also were encouraged through many assignments to advise, criticize and offer our personal opinions of how to strengthen the course in the future. Were there any activities that you think should have been covered in more depth? I think that paddling techniques could have been covered more in depth. Looking back on it, if the group was able to paddle around the day we got there, or early the next day…perhaps taking a day off of the first leg to practice paddle strokes and rescue techniques the trip would have been more efficient in the long run. The activities that I think should be covered more in depth are the analytical aspects of what we were doing out there and how we all interact with each other. The course is not designed to talk about these things and my understanding is there is going to be another course which will cover these topics. The only activity that maybe could have been covered in more depth and may practiced one or two more is getting out of a kayak. I believe all the topics covered on the trip were covered proficiently and I do not think they needed to go more in depth. I think the course material was covered in a comprehensive way.

I would have liked more time devoted to wet exits and resources. That being said, I think we covered it enough for me to comprehend it. I would have personally liked to practice more. No. No. I feel that each separate expedition’s goals and objectives could have been discussed and clarified in more depth prior to engagement. However, this is a pilot course and now that we have gone through it we can confidently and concretely describe the expedition’s purposes and values. For example, Florida is focused around more of the wilderness therapy. Did you have enough opportunity to develop your leadership abilities? Yes. The leader of the day opportunities was great and very helpful for everyone in the class. I felt that the apprentices had a hard time placing themselves within the group because sometimes they were students and other times they were instructors. Perhaps ensuring that the apprentices are just instructors would make that experience even more beneficial in the long run. There was the leader of the day. That was good experience. And the feedback at the end was the best part. The trouble was that after you lead one day you wanted to try again to practice your skills—there just wasn’t enough time! Yes, especially since one day each of us got to be the leader of the day and use our leadership abilities. Yes we certainly did. First each member got a chance to be leader of the day during the trip and also students were able to display and develop leadership abilities in cook groups. I had many opportunities to be a part of the decision making process. I was able to display my leadership abilities whenever I wanted. An entire day was devoted to each student to work on their leadership abilities as well as other unassigned times as well. I thought this was enough time to develop and display leadership abilities. Yes. No. Every second of every day I felt I was learning a new skill. I felt that I was constantly applying all the new knowledge I had learned from the previous day or week. Every student was given the opportunity to have one-on-one time with the professor at some point; his roll modeling helped many leadership developments. Each student was also the primary leader for one day in Florida. The leader of the Day (LOD) would be given the opportunity to display their leadership skills by planning out

the whole day using a method we learned called “the block method.” No matter what challenges and surprises the LOD encountered, he/she had to resolve and overcome the problem. The LOD would be given constructive criticism and positive feedback during discussion every night to help them strengthen their abilities. What additional types of opportunities do you recommend? I believe that if the trip were on foot instead of in kayaks, a student-based experience would have been very beneficial. Allowing the students, without the instructors, to lead their own trip would give them a solid foundation in what it is like to be a leader instead of a participant. Ideally each person would lead at least twice and be the assistant leader even more. It might be nice to be assistant leader after you’ve already been leader? Or, divide the group into two to have double the leaders? I enjoyed kayaking a lot, especially since I had never done it before, but kayaking could also be a good wilderness experience. I think there were plenty of opportunities for each group member to build their leadership skills and don’t believe there is really anything more that could have been done without forcing the person into a leadership position. I can’t think of anything extra that should be included. Nothing comes to mind. More situational leadership situations, maybe some simulations. I would have liked to have had a solo at some point during the course. But maybe that would be better fit in Immersion 2 course instead. Was safety a major aspect of all judgment considerations regarding each subject area? Safety was a primary concern for the instructor and the apprentices. I think that this was a good balance between leadership and participants, as those who didn’t have to be concerned about it felt a sense of security already. Unquestioningly yes. I never felt unsafe, either, quite the opposite, very taken care-of. Safety was definitely an important aspect, especially with dehydration and sun tan lotion. Safety was always considered when picking out travel routes and figuring out travel formations. Safety was a primary factor in all decisions.

I felt that safety was always a top priority in everything we did. If something was unsafe, we could not do it. Yes. Safety came first on all aspects of this trip. Safety is always on our minds throughout all the expeditions we were on. The subtle but most significant lesson we learn is how to live in the different environments. And through this teaching we also learn more about how our bodies and minds react to certain environments; a very necessary tool for this profession. Do you feel your leadership ability changed as a result of the course? Explain. Yes. I feel that in past experiences I got a firm understanding of where my leadership skills stood, and after a long break this experience allowed me to see just how much my leadership had changed since then. Certainly. Experience increases your confidence and confidence increases your effectiveness. This course increased my effectiveness. Yes, I feel like I can move above on how to lead groups and how to understand groups. I also feel that I gained some confidence afterwards. I believe I became much more comfortable in the leadership position. I strengthened the leadership skills I already possessed as well as gained new valuable skills from the experiences that I had on the trip. There is only so much you can learn from books so I was glad to put all of what I learned into action being in the back country. I feel as though I gained more feedback about my leadership and I am far more aware of myself (abilities and limitations). Yes. I received a great deal of feedback about my leadership skills from my peers/instructor, which certainly helped and caused my leadership ability to change. Yes, I have much more confidence when leading people, even when I may not so myself. Yes. It has really exposed my strengths and weaknesses. It has also taught me to utilize others’ strengths in helping me lead. I feel I have discovered and identified more about my leadership style because of this course. When I was LOD I was able to apply my leadership style. I was confident enough to make mistakes that would help me and others learn and grow from the experience. I was also able to learn and observe the diverse leadership style of my peers. Their mistakes and accomplishments have also helped my personal leadership ability.

Do you feel your performance on the course was evaluated fairly? I’m not sure how my performance was evaluated for this trip. Yes. I am not sure, since I have not seen any evaluations for me? Yes, I do believe my performance was evaluated fairly because who knows better about how you did than the people you were leading with. Sometimes I believe that it was hard to evaluate others because it was uncomfortable to give criticism, but at the same time I was very happy with people’s critiques because it allowed me to know what I needed to work on in the future. I think I performed well on the course and was evaluated accordingly. Yes I do. Yes. Yes. Yes, I developed trust in my peers who were constant teachers as well as students. I feel we all had three amazing leadership models that I also learned from. Their evaluations are respected and taken seriously by all the students. The evaluations were also fit for my particular learning style which I liked tremendously. Was the course flexible and sensitive to the needs of your specific group? Yes. I believe that since we were going into this trip we were unsure about the groups’ skills and abilities, that the trip was structured in such a way that if anything needed to be altered it could be. I think that we could have spent more time with the group as a whole, performing not just de-briefs of the day, but checking in with each member of the group more often. Yes. Yes. The course was very flexible and we were able to fix things at times to match our group. Yes the course was very flexible. The original route was actually changed because of the group’s ability. Also more time would be given for preparation for readings, discussions, meetings, and activities if you asked for it. I did not feel pushed into anything and as a result was able to have a better wilderness experience in my opinion.

The course was very flexible and adaptive to the group. Yes. We were able to change our plans when we determined that our specific group would not be able to do a certain part of the trip, without any hassle. Yes. Yes, extremely so. The course was extremely fitting for our group. Everyone was at different skill levels for each expedition. The course was structured but flexible enough to help everyone develop their abilities no matter what skill level they were at. There is one prime example of how the course’s flexibility enabled the group to challenge itself to its capacity. Our last stretch from Rabbits Bay in the Florida Keys was a hard one. We paddled eleven or more miles in open water, going into the wind and overcoming the huge waves. The day before our last we chose this eleven mile stretch over a twenty-three mile stretch based on our individual skill levels and our group strength as a whole. The course was set up so that we could assess ourselves and follow through with the most fitting plan for our particular group. Instructor specific feedback: Class presentations: Good—involved the whole class. The presentations went really well and had a positive progression to them. I believe Chris gave perfect presentations for the environment we were in. Also if something happened that he

thought taught a good lesson he would call a “teachable moment” which I found really helpful. Chris knew his audience and how to present material to get through to the group, which was very impressive.

Class presentations were mostly experiential which is a great way to learn the material. I loved that each student

thad to lead and present a chapter in the book we were given in Florida, giving us the opportunity to strengthen our discussion leadership skills. There were a few lectures in Utah where we were stuffed in a hotel room for three to four hours at a time and used a TV power point for presentations. I feel that for the pilot course this way of presenting was acceptable. However, I would plan on dividing the time up with the long lectures in the future. I really liked that we were involved in certain parts of the presentation when a student or two were asked to point out or draw out smart avalanche trails to travel.

Very well done. A.

Very clear and precise; our goals were clearly stated and we got them. Thorough and interesting. Communication skills: Good. (This student included Communication skills/Role model presentation/Ability to motivate) Chris has a way

about him. Maybe it’s that he doesn’t sway much so when he does speak we listen. I don’t know. But I do know that he has the utmost respect from everyone in the group which ultimately affects his communication skills. We all definitely listen when he speaks sometimes I just wish he would speak more. I could use a bit more guidance, a bit more direction. Or support? A bit more encouragement. Who knows though. That might cheapen the other things he says.

Chris is able to communicate well to our group in a way that we understand and want to learn. If it was necessary to communicate a message, Chris did it well. He has a very clear speaking voice. At times

information was not always relayed to everyone, but for the most part I believed he communicated well. Excellent communication. Excellent communication skills. Very approachable and well thought-out speaker. Effective. Communication skills were pretty good for the most part. As I said before, a lot of the communication happened

between students because the course was experientially based. I feel that the professor could have been a bit more present through his communication throughout both the Florida and Utah trips. I felt pretty independent on the trips which was necessary but we are all still students.

Ability to manage conflicts: Good—this course really didn’t have too many conflicts in it. Perhaps including lessons for students on how to

manage their own conflict. On this trip I think they were nipped in the bud. There were no conflicts? It doesn’t seem possible, I know. And,

maybe there were and I don’t remember. But detoxing every night with the group, having that face to face time really seemed to make a difference. I don’t know if we just got along so great that he didn’t need to step in at all or if he is so good at managing conflicts that I didn’t even know there were any at all!

Not many conflicts occurred but the ones that occurred were managed constructively. We didn’t really have many conflicts on the trip that needed to be dealt with. Weren’t many but have handled very well. Effective conflict manager. Flawless. Excellent. The professor was very good at managing the conflicts that occurred, although there were few. The conflicts that I

personally encountered were personal and group oriented and I felt very comfortable going to the professor with those issues. Pelchat helped me manage my own conflicts with subtle advice.

Role model presentations: He did a good job of ensuring that he was always doing the right thing and many people felt comfortable asking him

for help or advice on what he thought they should do. Chris played a very good role model throughout the trip and gave tips and instructions throughout the trip. Chris served as a good role model for a leader. He is definitely someone I would like to imitate in ways because he

is such a good leader and is amazing at what he does. Great role model. Probably one of the best I’ve ever had. Second only to my father as a role model. Great demonstrations and leading us, he is an excellent role model. Chris was an excellent role model. He was always on top of his game and extremely helpful. Because this course is experientially based, I was looking for a conscious effort in the role modeling. Although at

times I felt that I could learn from the role modeling of the professor and his accomplices, I would have liked to have seen more.

Ability to motivate:

I think that he is good at motivating when he sees the need to do so. I feel that some people in the group needed more or different forms of motivation and these weren’t always addressed.

Motivational skills were really good, which was good since we were on the water a lot and got tired occasionally. Chris motivated the group very well when needed. He motivated others with ease, which made following him that

much easier. Excellent motivator. Very passionate about course material. Professor Pelchat is a highly effective motivator. Very good. Most of the time he did not need to motivate us. The organization and introduction to the expeditions was motivating in itself. Before each trip we discuss the plans

of action briefly, knowing that we will make the trip as motivating or not for ourselves. Knowledge of WEA philosophy and ability to articulate it: Great—he has a firm understanding of the organization and is willing and able to discuss it and answer any

questions anyone may have. Yes, true. Knowledge, articulate, name-drops it into conversation—the works. Chris not only has a good philosophy about the WEA, but knows a lot of the history and people behind the WEA. Chris was very knowledgeable with the philosophy of WEA and was able to clearly express it to the rest of the

group. For WSP it was great. WEA was a small part of the larger concept of course but was an always present

background. It is clear that Chris Pelchat’s knowledge of WEA philosophy is vast and he is not shy about spreading this

knowledge and passing it on to others. Extremely knowledgeable—any question could be backed up with the history of why it is. Knowledge extensive and he didn’t articulate it, he guided us to discovering it for ourselves.

We had several discussions about the philosophy of WEA and if we ever didn’t understand something, Pelchat was

very articulate in his explanations and clarifications. Skill mastery: Good. If anyone had a question about any of the kayaks or the skills they needed he was able to help them out, as

well as serve as a positive role model for those needing his assistance. It is humbling how skilled Chris is. Chris is a really good kayaker as well as navigator. I feel like he knew what he was doing most of the time. It was very clear that Chris knew what he was doing. I knew without a doubt that if I had trouble Chris would be

able to help. Very skilled and experienced. His mastery of pertinent skills has never been doubted by me. Very pertinent. Extremely professional and helpful. The professor for each expedition was a master at the skills we were learning. You could tell that their skills have

been developing for many years. The most important aspect I recognized was the passion for each activity we did which adds to the mastery of the task.

Support of the student leader of the day: Good. He was able to allow those who were leading the space they needed and to come in whenever they needed

help. Hard to say, he was my assistant. And since I can only know my perspective, he could not have been more helpful. When needed Chris did a good job of instructing or helping the person assigned as the leader of the day. Chris was very supportive of the leader of the day and was always there as a resource of information. Was there to help and support whenever needed. Always attentive.

Supportive when necessary but did a good job of not having too strong of a leadership presence when it was someone else’s turn to be the leader.

Very supportive. Just right. He provided the tools and let us figure it out from there. We learned as we went and he stepped in when

necessary. The LOD gave great support to the group and was also supported by the professor and more knowledgeable

students. How well did this instructor work with his/her fellow instructors? Pretty well. It’s hard to say because it was double duty for them. Chris had to apprentices, but I thought their role on the trip was confusing because one day they would be the

instructors and the next day they would just be students. It was unclear how they were supposed to be viewed so I was confused with that. Otherwise I thought Chris worked very well with them and for the most part kept them informed with everything.

As one of the co-instructors, we worked very well together. I feel we provided an amazing experience to al

participants. Well. N/A on this trip. N/A. In Florida the instructors worked very well with each other. In Utah I feel the instructors got a bit distracted and their

presence as model leaders was not existent at times. Additional Comments: I had a very good time during the Florida trip and was able to experience being in the wilderness for more than two weeks which was really rewarding. My knowledge of groups has greatly increased as well. I really enjoyed this trip. It allowed me to slow down and appreciate life as well as further my leadership skills. During this trip I was able to reflect on my life and think of things I would not be able to do if I was not in the back country. I strongly recommend that everyone have a wilderness experience because it is an amazing experience and will change your outlook on life.

One of the best courses I have ever taken. Truly amazing. It is a pleasure to take Mr. Pelchat’s classes.